The best MTB trails around Santa Susanna

Tradition has it that when fishermen were far out at sea, they would look for a tiny white dot on the mountain amidst the green of the forest. It was this hermitage. It served as a reference point for them to orient themselves and know where the coast was. A kind of lighthouse, but on the mountain. And there's a second, even more curious story. Centuries ago, a severe smallpox epidemic affected the farmhouses of Hortsavinyà. Legend has it that a stranger appeared with an image of the Virgin and assured that those who came to pray to her would be healed. People associated the healings with that image, and eventually, the small oratory was built here. There's even a curious play on its name: Erola and verola—smallpox in Catalan—ended up being linked in popular tradition, although the origin of 'erola' seems to actually refer to the small plain where it is located. So that little white house lost among the trees was, depending on who looked at it, a sanctuary for some and an orientation point for those sailing down below in the Mediterranean.

It looks like a stone hole lost in the forest, but inside here it reached 800 °C for 10 to 12 days straight. Limestone, tons of firewood, and people feeding the fire day and night to produce the lime with which houses were built and whitewashed. Today there is only silence and forest. Years ago, this was a small hell running 24 hours a day.

The Tordera River is born in Montseny and advances silently, leaving its mark on the territory until it creates this magnificent delta in the Mediterranean.

Església de Sant Pere de Riu La parròquia de Sant Pere de Riu està documentada des del 1185, i conserva elements romànics originals. Destaca el comunidor, des d’on es té una vista privilegiada de tota la vall de la riera. Font: Visit Pineda

Capella de Sant Isidre La capella de Sant Isidre es va veure afectada per la construcció de l’autopista del Maresme. Aquest fet va comportar que s’hagués de derruir per construir-la novament uns metres més enllà d’on s’alçava l’antiga. Ara es troba just a la plaça de Llillota. La seva estructura és moderna, però conserva l’encant d’estar situada en un paratge natural de gran bellesa, idoni per passejar i descansar. I, de fet, és aquí on any rere any se celebra el dinar de germanor per la festa de Sant Isidre, que tot i que és 15 de maig, el dinar es fa el diumenge següent. Font: Ajuntament de Santa Susanna

Capella de Mare de Deu de l'Erola Prop de Santa Eulàlia (o Sant Llop) d'Hortsavinyà, seguint amunt pel camí GR-92, trobem l'ermita de la Mare de Déu de l'Erola. És un petit oratori de parets blanques que segons la tradició, servia de guia als pescadors que, en mirar les muntanyes, hi veien una petita taca blanca. L'edifici, molt senzill, és de planta rectangular amb volta semicircular. Al seu interior hi ha una fornícula amb una imatge de la Mare de Déu. Font: Pobles de Catalunya

Dates from the 18th century.... Built in honor of the only person who did not get sick during the smallpox outbreak that made everyone else sick. Erola, the name of the girl who did not get sick, and dedicated herself to healing all the sick. Believing that what this girl did was a miracle, they built this Hermitage for her.... Mara de Déu de la Erola. To this day, perfectly cared for and clean. The name Erola.... means..... Small esplanade at the top of the Mountain ⛰️😃

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